“No further talks,” Nelson Mandela announced on TV after the massacre of shack-dwellers at Boipatong in South Africa in June of 1992. A few minutes later, Roelf Meyer, the former Minister of Defense for the white minority-ruling National Party and…
Author: Common Outlook Consulting Inc.
Resolutions vs. Acceptance (and real change)
Sigh. It’s JGJ (Join-the-Gym-January)… that time of year when the self-help finger-waggers advise us to look into the corners of what we do and who we are in order to become “better versions” of ourselves. So; you can focus on…
Honesty
It is said we live three lives: a public one; a personal one, and a secret one. If so, is it possible to follow the principles we’ve set for ourselves in each of those lives, or should we allow some…
How to Create Workplace :)ness
This month we’re looking at three common workplace difficulties, and what you can do about them. As usual, there is no magic solution and the things we offer below won’t be appropriate or useful in all circumstances. Our purpose in…
Expectations and Happiness
People who immigrate to other countries are good ‘engagers’; they know the pitfalls of expectations and instead, invest their energy in the here and now, hoping their efforts will pay off. A shoemaker near and dear to our hearts works…
We’re not as Bad as We Think We Are (so keep your hopes up).
One of the ways we can become more hopeful about ourselves is to continually step back from the daily deluge of information. When we do, we will likely remember two human tendencies. 1) We engage in negative biasing, which is…
Read More We’re not as Bad as We Think We Are (so keep your hopes up).
THE WILLPOWER INSTINCT | By Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
Welcome to the world of craving. Whether it’s the double espresso shots in the already jitter-inducing coffee, the incessant iPhone check or play, the carcinogenic cigarette, or a habitual way of treating others, we all understand willpower - or more…
Read More THE WILLPOWER INSTINCT | By Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
Charles Duhigg, Random House 2012 The science of habits is a fascinating subject, one that held Charles Duhigg, the Pulitzer Prize-winning business reporter with the New York Times, in a ten-year thrall and inspired his 2012 international bestseller The Power…
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Attitude Study
(Adapted from the Common Outlook Business/People Change program) If you’re extremely busy; or don’t understand the impact your Attitude is having on your career/life; or typically avoid facing ‘your own worst enemy’, the following can be seen as a hefty…
How Ted Changed his Attitude
“For years, I used anger to intimidate others so I could feel powerful. I didn’t make that discovery until after I was fired, and it took a while for me to understand that my need for power was an attempt…